| 2 Hadiths


Hadith
418
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do you see this qiblah of mine here? By Allah, your khushu‘ [proper focus and humility] and your bowing are not hidden from me, for indeed I see you behind my back.”.

Commentary : Khushu‘ (proper focus and humility) forms the essence of prayer; by means of khushu‘ the worshipper will be calm and unhurried in his prayer, and will turn more wholeheartedly to Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught the Muslims the etiquette of prayer and what is most important when praying, so that their prayer might be perfected.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked his companions: “Do you see this qiblah of mine here?” This is a question objecting to what they might think when he is facing towards the qiblah. In other words: do you think that I do not see what you do, because my qiblah is in this direction, and the one who faces towards something turns his back towards what is behind him. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that what he could see was not limited to one direction; he swore by Allah that he could see who was focusing properly in his prayer, and who was not, behind him. His intention in saying that was to urge them to focus properly, with humility, and bow properly in the prayer. What his words “for indeed I see you behind my back” meant was that Allah (may He be exalted) had created in him the ability to see those who were standing behind him. This is something that was unique to him, and he was able to see them in a real sense, which was something extraordinary. He was also granted other extraordinary abilities apart from this, and that is not contrary to rational thinking or to any religious text; rather there are religious texts that confirm that, and we must believe in it.
It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw them through what was revealed to him about their actions and how they performed the prayer, because seeing may mean knowing and believing.
What he meant when he said that was: Focus properly in the prayer, with humility, and do the essential parts thereof properly, as if I am watching you and directing you to do it correctly, for I see your actions in prayer behind me when I am standing and leading you in prayer and you are behind me, just as I see you when I am looking at you in front of me.
This hadith is one of the proofs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

419
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led us in prayer, then he ascended the minbar and said regarding the prayer and bowing: “Indeed I can see you behind me as I see you [now].”.

Commentary : Khushu‘ (proper focus and humility) form the essence of prayer; by means of khushu‘ the worshipper will be calm and unhurried in his prayer, and will turn more wholeheartedly to Allah (may He be glorified). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught the Muslims the etiquette of prayer and what is most important when praying, so that their prayer might be perfected.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led them in prayer, then he ascended the minbar and spoke regarding the prayer and bowing, meaning that he exhorted them with regard to the prayer and bowing. He singled out bowing for mention, even though it is included in the prayer, because he wanted to pay extra attention to it, either because it is the greatest of the essential parts of the prayer, based on the fact that if a latecomer to a congregational prayer catches up with bowing, he has caught up with that entire rak‘ah, or because he knew that they were falling short in bowing, so he mentioned it in order to highlight their shortcomings in it. Then he said: “Indeed I can see you behind me as I see you [now].” This was one of his miracles and unique characteristics, and one of the proofs of his prophethood. What is meant is that Allah (may He be exalted) had created in him the ability to know what was happening behind him, and his seeing meant knowing in a true sense what was happening, by extraordinary means. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was granted many extraordinary feats and events in addition to this, and nothing in that is contrary to rational thinking or religious texts, rather the religious texts speak of such miracles and extraordinary events, so we must believe in them.
It may be that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw them through what was revealed to him about their actions and how they performed the prayer, because seeing may mean knowing and believing.
What he meant when he said that was: Focus properly in the prayer, with humility, and bow and do the essential parts thereof properly, as if I am watching you and directing you to do it correctly, for I see your actions in prayer behind me when I am standing and leading you in prayer and you are behind me, just as I see you when I am looking at you in front of me.
This hadith urges us to offer the prayer in the manner enjoined by Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
It is also one of the proofs of the prophethood of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

420
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) held a race between horses that had been made lean, starting from al-Hafya’ and ending at Thaniyyat al-Wada‘, and another race between horses that had not been made lean, starting from Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ and ending at the mosque of Banu Zurayq. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was one of those who took part in these races..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prescribed for his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that by means of which they could attain some pleasures of this world and would also have a good impact on their faith and their hereafter. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) held a race between horses that had been made lean, which means that they were fed until they grew fat and strong, then their feed was reduced, giving them just enough to survive, and they were put in an enclosed space and covered with blankets until they became hot and sweated. Then when the sweat dried, their flesh would be reduced and they would be able to run fast. The course of the race began at al-Hafya’, which is a place near Madinah, to the west of Mount Uhud, and ended at Thaniyyat al-Wada‘; a thaniyyah is a path through the mountains, and it was called Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ [lit. the mountain pass of farewell] because when someone departed from Madinah, his family would take him to that mountain pass, then they would bid farewell to him in that place, and go back home. Between Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ and al-Hafya’ there is a distance of five miles or more (approximately 8 km). He also held a race between heavy horses that had not been made lean, from Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ to the mosque of Banu Zurayq, who were a tribe of the Ansar. The mosque was named after them by way of describing which mosque it was, not that they owned it. Between Thaniyyat al-Wada‘ and the mosque of Banu Zurayq there was a distance of one kilometre. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who took part in these horse races.
This hadith indicates that it is valid to attribute a mosque to the one who built it or the one who prays in it, and to name it after him, and that it is valid to attribute righteous deeds to their doers.
It indicates that it is permissible to make horses lean and to train them to run, preparing them to make the word of Allah (may He be exalted) supreme and to support His religion.
It indicates that it is permissible to make animals go hungry for a good purpose, not by way of cruelty.
It indicates that it is essential to state the distance and the length of the course in horse races..

421
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Some wealth from al-Bahrain was brought to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he said: “Display it in the mosque.” It was the largest amount of wealth ever brought to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to pray, and he did not pay any attention to it. When he had finished the prayer, he sat by it, and he did not see anyone but he gave him something. Then al-‘Abbas came to him and said: O Messenger of Allah, give me something, for I paid ransom for myself and for ‘Aqil. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: “Take.” So he scooped up some wealth into his garment, then he tried to lift it, but he could not. He said: O Messenger of Allah, tell someone to lift it up for me. He said: “No.” He said: Then lift it up onto me yourself. He said: “No.” So he reduced it, then he tried to lift it up, and he said: O Messenger of Allah, tell someone to lift it up onto me. He said: “No.” He said: Then lift it up onto me yourself. He said: “No.” Then he reduced it some more, then he lifted it up onto his back, and left. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) kept watching him until he disappeared from our view, because he was astonished at how much he wanted to have of it. And the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not leave until there was not even a single dirham left of it..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) warned his ummah against accumulating worldly gains, and said that those who acquire a great deal of wealth in this world will be those among the people who have the least share of reward on the Day of Resurrection, except those who pay what is due on wealth [i.e., zakah and charity]. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the least interested of people in worldly gains.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the wealth of al-Bahrain – meaning the land tax [kharaj] that was imposed on the Magians of Hajar, which was a region in the land of al-Bahrain – was brought by Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him); it had been sent by al-‘Ala’ ibn al-Hadrami from al-Bahrain. The total amount was eighty thousand dirhams. The name al-Bahrain in ancient times referred to the region that now includes [the island of] Bahrain, al-Ahsa’ and al-Qatif, in the eastern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to display that wealth in the mosque; this wealth was the largest amount that had been brought to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to pray without paying any attention to it or looking at it, in order to show his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that wealth was not something to be concerned about, and it should not distract one from prayer and faith. When he had finished his prayer, he sat, and he did not see anyone but he gave him some of that wealth. Then al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him), the paternal uncle of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), came to him and said: Give me something, for I ransomed myself and ‘Aqil – meaning that he had paid the ransom for himself and for ‘Aqil ibn Abi Talib when they were taken prisoner on the day of Badr. It was said that he paid a ransom of eighty uqiyahs of gold, or that he paid one thousand dinars. What he meant was that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) should compensate him for the wealth that he had lost.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Take.” So al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) scooped up a great deal with his hands, and placed it in his garment. Then he tried to lift it up, but he was not able to do so. So he told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to instruct one of those present to lift it up onto him so that he could carry it. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) refused to instruct anyone to do that. So al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to lift it up onto him himself, but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) refused to do that. Al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) threw some of it aside, so that he would be able to carry it, then he tried to lift it but he was not able to do so. He told the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to instruct someone to lift it up onto him, but he refused, and he also refused to lift it onto him himself. So al-‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) put back some more of it, then he lifted it onto his back – the Arabic word translated here as back refers to the part of the back between the shoulders – then he left. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) kept watching him until he went away and disappeared from view. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was astonished at how keen al-‘Abbas was to acquire wealth. The only reason he did not instruct anyone to lift the wealth onto al-‘Abbas’s back was – and Allah knows best –that he wanted to deter this eagerness to take too much wealth that al-‘Abbas demonstrated, and so that he would not take more than he needed of worldly gains, and would limit himself to what was sufficient for him, as he himself used to do.
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not get up and leave until he had shared out all the wealth, and not a single dirham of it was left. This was his usual habit.
This hadith indicates that the wealth of al-fay’ [booty seized without fighting] may be given to both rich and poor.
It highlights how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked down on worldly gains and glamour, no matter how great they were.
It indicates that one may be astonished at the eagerness of someone who is keen to acquire wealth and to acquire a great deal of it.
It indicates that it is permissible to share out fay’ in the mosque, and to put it in the mosque..

422
It was narrated from Ishaq ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Abi Talhah that he heard Anas say: I found the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the mosque, and some people were with him. I stood there and he said to me: “Did Abu Talhah send you?” I said: Yes. He said: “[Is he inviting me] to eat?” I said: Yes. He said to those who were with him: “Let’s go!” He set out, and I set out ahead of them..

Commentary : This text is an abridgement of a lengthy hadith the authenticity of which is agreed upon. During the battle of al-Khandaq, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) suffered greatly from hunger and exhaustion, to the extent that that showed in the voice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as it sounded weak. Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) sensed hunger in the voice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He told his wife Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was hungry, and asked her whether she had any food. She brought out some baked loaves of barley flour, then she brought out a scarf and put the bread together and wrapped it in the scarf. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) – whose mother was Umm Sulaym – said: Then she tucked it under my arm, to hide it, and sent me to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) did what she did because there was so little bread and food. The apparent meaning of that report indicates that she sent the food to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In other reports in al-Sahihayn, it says that she prepared food, and Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) sent Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to invite him to come and eat some of that food. Perhaps this version is in harmony with the text, and perhaps the story of offering food to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) happened on two separate occasions.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and found him sitting in the mosque with his companions. He stood waiting for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to be alone, so that he could give him the bread, because it was not enough for his companions. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw him standing there, he said to him: “Did Abu Talhah send you?” Anas replied: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “[Is he inviting me] to eat?” Anas said: Yes. This was one of his miracles and a sign of his prophethood, that he told Anas why he had come before Anas even spoke. Abu Talhah’s full name was Zayd ibn Sahl al-Ansari, one of the leaders who had been present at the pledge of al-‘Aqabah; he was the husband of the mother of Anas (may Allah be pleased with them all).
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) brought his companions to the house of Abu Talhah (may Allah be pleased with him) to eat with him, because they were very hungry and exhausted. This is an example of the Prophet’s etiquette and kind treatment of his companions, as he did not keep that invitation to himself; rather the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) brought them to eat with Abu Talhah even though his food was little, because he knew that it would be sufficient for all of them, by virtue of his barakah and what Allah (may He be exalted) had granted uniquely to him of honour and virtue. This was another sign of his prophethood.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) set out, along with his companions, and Anas was walking quickly ahead of them, to bring this news to Abu Talhah. So he came to him and told him, and Abu Talhah told his wife Umm Sulaym about the news, and that they did not have enough food for the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Umm Sulaym referred the matter to Allah, which is indicative of her strong faith and religious commitment. Abu Talhah went out to welcome the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then they came in to where Umm Sulaym was. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Umm Sulaym, bring me what you have”, asking her to bring to him what she had of bread. When she brought it, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed that it be broken into pieces, then Umm Sulaym squeezed a round leather vessel of ghee and honey over the bread, like a condiment. Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said whatever he wanted to say concerning it, and he offered supplication that the food be blessed. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to Abu Talhah: “Give permission to ten men to come in.” That was because the place was not big enough to hold all the people. Permission was given to them, and they came and ate until they were full, then they left. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Give permission to another ten to come in.” And it carried on like that until all the people – of whom there were seventy or eighty men – had eaten their fill, by the blessing of the supplication of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
In this hadith, we see that if someone is invited to a meal and knows that the host will not mind if he brings someone else with him, and that the food will be sufficient, then there is nothing wrong with him bringing that other person with him.  .

428
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah and halted in A‘la al-Madinah, among a tribe called Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stayed among them for fourteen days, then he sent for Banul Najjar, who came armed with their swords. It is as if I can see the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on his mount, with Abu Bakr riding behind him, and Banul Najjar all around him, until he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. He liked to pray wherever he was when the time for prayer came, and he would pray in sheepfolds. He issued instructions that the mosque be built, and he sent for a group of Banul Najjar and said: “O Banul Najjar, name your price for this garden of yours.” They said: No, by Allah, we will not ask for any price for it, except [reward] from Allah. Anas said: There was in [that garden] what I am going to tell you: there were some graves of the polytheists, and a ruin, and some palm trees. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) issued orders that the graves be dug up, the ruin be levelled, and the palm trees cut down; [the trunks of the palm trees] were lined up to make a wall in the direction of the qiblah of the mosque, and they made its other two supporting walls of stone. They brought stones whilst reciting rajaz verse, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was with them and was saying: “O Allah, there is no good except the good of the hereafter; have mercy on the Ansar and the Muhajirin.”.

Commentary : The migration from Makkah to Madinah took place by the command of Allah to His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That was the beginning of a new stage in the da‘wah (call) and the spread of Islam.
In this hadith, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) migrated to Madinah, he halted and stayed in A‘la al-Madinah, which is an area also known as al-‘Awali and al-‘Aliyah. This refers to Quba’ and its environs. Quba’ was the land of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf. It was also said that everything on the side of Madinah in the direction of Najd, of villages and populated areas as far as Tihamah, is called al-‘Aliyah, and everything other than that is called al-Safilah.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stayed with them for fourteen days, then he sent for his maternal uncles, Banul Najjar. They came with their swords on their shoulders, as was their custom when they went to meet one of their prominent figures; or it may be that they came in this manner because they feared that the Jews might harm the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and this was a display of their support for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Prophet’s intention was to move from al-‘Awali to the centre of Madinah and find a place to settle there. So he rode his she-camel, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) rode behind him, which is indicative of the honourable and unique status of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), which none of the other companions shared with him. The men of Banul Najjar, their bravest fighters and nobles, surrounded him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rode until he dismounted and unloaded his luggage in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of Banul Najjar. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) liked to pray wherever he was when the time for prayer came, to show that the entire earth had been made a place of prostration and a means of purification for him. He would pray in sheepfolds, which are enclosures to which the sheep go to sleep, rest and spend the night. This was a concession granted by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), allowing people to pray in the places where sheep gathered, because sheep are peaceful animals that do not harm anyone, and there is blessing in them because they are so peaceful and gentle, and do not move very much, in addition to other benefits. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to build the mosque on the site of a garden belonging to some of Banul Najjar, so he sent word to them and said to them: Name your price for your garden; tell me how much you want for it, so that I can buy it from you. But they swore by Allah that they would seek the reward for that with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), and they did not want any money for it. In this place there were some old graves of the polytheists, a ruin and some palm trees, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) issued orders that the graves of the polytheists be dug up, and the bones and remains be removed to another place. The ruin, in which there were holes, stones, cracks and the like, was to be leveled. It was said that what was meant by levelling the ruin is that the ruined building that is to be demolished will result in piles of rubble on the ground, so there is a need to remove that rubble, then make the ground level. And he issued orders that the palm trees be cut down, then the trunks of the felled trees were lined up to form a wall in the direction of the qiblah of the mosque. They made two other supporting walls of stone; the word translated here as supporting wall refers to anything that supports a structure around it. It is as if they put stones around the wall made of palm trunks. As they worked, they were reciting lines of rajaz verse, like chanting; rajaz is a type of rhythmic speech, like poetry. They did that to energize themselves and make the work go more smoothly. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was reciting lines of rajaz verse with them, and saying: “O Allah, there is no good except the good of the hereafter”, meaning that true goodness is the bliss of the hereafter, because it is eternal, and everything else is temporary; “have mercy on the Ansar and the Muhajirin” – this was a supplication for forgiveness for them. The Ansar were [the tribes of] al-Aws and al-Khazraj who supported him against his enemies, and the Muhajirin were those who migrated from Makkah to Madinah.
There was an issue regarding how to understand the report that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited lines of rajaz verse when Allah (may He be exalted) says: {And We did not give Prophet Muhammad, knowledge of poetry} [Ya-Sin 36:69].  The response to that is that what was not possible for him was to compose poetry of his own; it does not refer to him reciting poetry composed by others. It was not something that he did deliberately, and it was never proven that he composed poetry of his own.
This hadith indicates that it is permissible to recite poetry and rajaz verse when working and when on a military campaign, and to use that as a means to energize people and make the work go more smoothly.
It indicates that the one who owns something has more right to name its price.
It indicates that if a graveyard is dug up and the bones of the dead are removed, then it is no longer regarded as a graveyard, and it is permissible to pray there.
It indicates that one should not pray in graveyards, even if they are the graveyards of the polytheists, because that is barring a means that may lead to taking graves as places of worship, because with the passage of time people will forget what the situation was, and there is the fear that it may lead to fitnah and going astray.
It indicates that the graves of the polytheists have no sanctity, and that it is permissible to exhume their bones and remove them from that place, in order to make use of the land, if there is a need for that.
It indicates that it is permissible to cut down palm trees and other trees, if that serves the public interest. .

430
It was narrated that Nafi‘ said: I saw Ibn ‘Umar praying facing towards his camel, and he said: I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) doing that..

Commentary : The qiblah is the direction faced during prayer, in which a person turns to Allah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the worshipper to have a sutrah (screen) so that no one will pass in front of him and interrupt his prayer, especially in open spaces. However, in the case of congregational prayer, if the imam has a sutrah for himself, then he is the sutrah for those who are praying behind him.
In this hadith, Nafi‘, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, narrates that he saw Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) praying, using his camel – the Arabic word refers to a camel used for travelling – as a screen whilst he was praying, so that no one would walk in front of him, between him and the qiblah. Then ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated – and it is as if he was asked about what he had done – that he had seen the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) praying whilst facing towards his camel, making it like a screen whilst he prayed, and that he was following the example of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This is different from the issue of praying in camel pens, concerning which it was narrated that that is prohibited – as it was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and others that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “… and do not pray in camel pens.” Rather the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed in the direction of the camel, not in the place where it was kept. It cannot be said that if a camel kneels in a place, that place then becomes a pen for it, or a place that is known to be for camels; rather pens are the places that are already prepared and equipped for camels to stay there overnight, and it is known to the people and to the camels themselves that these places are for them, so they naturally go to that place at the end of the day, without any trouble..

432
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Offer some of your prayers in your houses, and do not make them like graves.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was keen to teach his ummah good things, and he would instruct them to do what would be beneficial to them.
In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed the Muslims to offer some of the supererogatory and sunnah prayers – such as Duha, qiyam al-layl, tahajjud and so on – in their houses. His aim was to encourage people to offer supererogatory prayers at home. It is narrated in al-Sahihayn from Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best prayer is the prayer that a man offers in his house, except for the prescribed prayers.” That is because this is furthest removed from showing off, and is a precaution against anything that could make the prayers null and void; it brings blessing (barakah) and mercy to the house, attracts angels to the house and drives devils away; thus these houses will be revived with the blessing of the prayer and what it involves of remembering Allah and calling upon Him. Then houses will not be made like graves, as if the people in them are dead and residing in graves. It was said that it may be that what is meant is: do not make your houses places that are only for sleeping, in which you do not pray, for sleep is the brother of death..

437
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah destroy the Jews! They took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was very concerned about warning his ummah against falling into shirk, as happened to the nations who came before us, who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah destroy the Jews!” This is a supplication against them, praying that Allah kill them and oppose them. It was said that it is an expression that refers to their being cast far away from mercy, because they took the graves of their prophets as places of worship. They did that either by way of prostrating to them and venerating them; or by taking them as a direction towards which they faced when praying, and turning to it in worship; or because they built places of worship over the graves.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only singled out the Jews for mention here because they were the first people to establish this idea and were the first to take the graves of their prophets as places of worship, so their wrongdoing is worse than that of others, and thus they are more extreme in that regard.
This is a stern warning and prohibition, and teaches the ummah to avoid taking graves as places of worship, because that is a means that may lead to believing in them and worshipping them..

438
It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been given five things that were not given to any of the prophets before me: I have been supported with fear for a distance of one month; the earth has been made a place of prostration and a means of purification for me, so wherever any man of my ummah is when the time comes to pray, let him pray; war booty has been made permissible for me; each prophet before me was sent exclusively to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all of mankind; and I have been granted intercession..

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) granted certain blessings exclusively to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which He did not grant exclusively to any of the prophets before him.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells of these characteristics which were never given in combination to any of the prophets except to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The first is that he was supported with fear for the distance of a month, so fear would be cast in the hearts of his enemies when there was a distance of a month’s journey between him and them, as Allah (may He be exalted) says: {We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah} [Al ‘Imran 3:151]. And Allah said concerning the Battle of Badr: {[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved”} [al-Anfal 8:12].
The second was that the earth was made a place of prostration and a means of purification for him. This is one of the things that were granted exclusively to this ummah. So wherever a man is when the time for prayer comes, he may pray in the place where he is when the time for prayer comes. If he cannot find water, then he may do tayammum with clean earth, or whatever comes under the same ruling as it, then pray, for prayer is not only to be done in the mosques that are built for that purpose, as was the case with previous nations; rather the Muslims may pray wherever they are on earth when the time for prayer comes. This is not contradicted by the fact that prayer is not allowed in certain places on earth, for reasons specific to those places, such as the prohibition on praying in camel pens, graveyards and bathrooms.
Mentioning that tayammum is one of the unique blessings that were granted to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gives the impression that purification with water was not something unique to him that was not granted to other prophets. Rather what is unique to him is tayammum, which was granted to him so as to make things easier when water is not available, or when it is not possible to use it.
The third thing is that war booty was made permissible for him; this refers to what the Muslims capture during their wars with the disbelievers, and everything captured by force from the disbelievers. This was not permitted to the prophets who came before him, as it is narrated in al-Sahihayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “One of the prophets went on a campaign and collected booty, then a fire came to consume it…”
The fourth thing is that he was sent to all of mankind, for he was the last of the prophets. Hence his message was made universal, to reach all of mankind. The prophets before him were sent exclusively to their own people. Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a marfu‘ hadith: “I have been sent to all people; the prophets end with me.”
The fifth thing is that he was granted intercession, so he will intercede for the people on the Day of Resurrection at the beginning of the reckoning, which will be the general intercession or the greater intercession, and there are other things that will be exclusive to him on the Day of Resurrection.
The intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) among the other prophets is not the intercession to bring forth the sinners from the Fire, for other prophets and the believers will also have a share of that intercession, as is mentioned in mutawatir texts. Rather the intercession that is unique to him, to the exclusion of the other prophets, is of four types: (i) he will intercede for all people, asking for judgement to be passed among them; (ii) he will intercede for the people of Paradise to be admitted to Paradise; (iii) he will intercede for those who committed major sins among the people of Hell, and it was said that this is something that is granted uniquely to him; (iv) he will intercede for large numbers of his ummah, for he has saved and stored up his intercession for the Day of Resurrection. There are sahih reports which clearly state that this intercession is what is referred to in this hadith, such as the hadith which was narrated by Ahmad from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Tonight I was granted five things that were not granted to anyone before me… The fifth of which is that it was said to me: Ask, for every prophet [before you] asked. But I have delayed my asking until the Day of Resurrection, and it will be for you and for everyone who testifies that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah.”
Some of the scholars mentioned a fifth type of intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which is his intercession for the punishment to be reduced for some of the polytheists, such as his intercession for his uncle Abu Talib. This was granted exclusively to our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And some scholars include a sixth kind of intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), namely his intercession for seventy thousand to enter Paradise without being brought to account.
The one who reflects upon the texts and reports will realize that the characteristics that were granted exclusively to him, to the exclusion of other prophets, are not limited to five. On some occasions he mentioned six, or five, or four, or three, according to what needed to be mentioned.
This hadith highlights the status of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted.
It also highlights the fact that some of the prophets are superior to others, by the blessing of Allah (may He be exalted)..

439
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that Walidah was a black slave woman belonging to a tribe of the Arabs. They manumitted her, but she remained with them. She said: One of the girls of the tribe went out wearing an adorned red leather scarf. She took it off – or she dropped it – and a kite [a type of bird] flew over and thought that it was meat, so it snatched it up. They looked for it, but they did not find it, so they accused me of taking it. They started to examine her, to the extent that they even examined her private parts. She said: By Allah, I was standing with them when the kite flew by and dropped it, and it fell in their midst. I said: This is what you are accusing me of, and you claimed [that I took it], but I am innocent of that; here it is. Then she came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and became Muslim. ‘A’ishah said: She had a tent – or a small room with a little roof – in the mosque. She used to come to me and talk to me, and she never sat with me but she said: The day of the scarf was one of the wonders of our Lord… But it saved me from the land of disbelief. ‘A’ishah said: I said to her: What is the matter with you? Every time you sit with me, you say this. And then she told me the whole story..

Commentary : Our Lord (may He be glorified and exalted) is most merciful to His slaves, especially the weak and oppressed among them; He supports them against those who wrong them and causes the truth to be manifest sooner or later.
In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that there was a black slave woman who belonged to one of the Arab tribes. They manumitted her and freed her from slavery, but she remained with them. This former slave woman told the story of how a girl from that tribe went out wearing a red scarf made of leather, that was adorned with strings of pearls; this was something that women wore to adorn themselves. It was also said that it was woven from strips of leather adorned with pearls, and a woman would tie it between her shoulder and waist. The girl dropped the scarf, and a kite – which is a well-known, harmful type of bird; it is permissible to kill this bird both outside and inside the Haram zone – flew by. The kite snatched up the scarf, thinking that it was meat. They looked for this scarf, searching for it and asking about it, but they did not find it, so they accused that former slave woman of stealing it. They came and examined her, to the extent that they even examined her ‘awrah, but Allah (may He be glorified) made known the innocence of this former slave woman. Whilst that was happening, and she was standing with them, the kite flew over them and dropped the scarf from its beak; when it realized that it was not meat, it dropped it in their midst. The former slave woman said to them: This is what you are accusing me of, and you claimed that I stole it, but I am innocent of that. Then this former slave woman came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and became Muslim. ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: This former slave woman had a tent or a small and narrow room in the mosque. She used to come to ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her and talk to her, and she never sat with her but she said this line of poetry: “The day of the scarf was one of the wonders of our Lord” meaning that it was a strange and unique incident; “But it saved me from the land of disbelief.” What this line of poetry means is that the trial that she went through when she was accused of stealing and mistreated was the reason why she became Muslim and migrated. The scarf was one reason why she was saved; the day of the scarf was a wonder, because what happened on that day, of the kite snatching up the scarf and her being accused of taking it, was one of the wonders of the age. It was one of the blessings that Allah bestowed upon her, as it became a turning point in her life, taking her from wretchedness to bliss, and it was a cause of her becoming Muslim and being saved, and migrating from the land of disbelief to the land of faith, as the proverb says: “Something harmful may turn out to be beneficial.” When ‘A’ishah asked her about the reason why she used to say those words, she told her this story. What appears to be the case is that this woman only became Muslim after the story of the scarf took place.
This hadith tells us that Allah (may He be exalted) may relieve the distress of the distressed by extraordinary means, even if they are disbelievers, and that Allah’s justice extends to both believers and disbelievers, righteous people and evildoers.
It indicates that it is permissible for the one who does not have a home or a place to sleep at night – whether man or woman – to spend the night in the mosque, so long as there is no risk of fitnah.
It also highlights the virtue of migrating from the land of disbelief, and that the Sunnah is to leave a land in which one is subject to trials and tribulations..

440
It was narrated that Nafi‘ said: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told me that when he was young and unmarried, and had no family, he used to sleep in the Mosque of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)..

Commentary : The mosque is regarded as a sacred place and is held in high esteem by the Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us what is and is not permissible in the mosque.
In this hadith, Nafi‘, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Umar, tells us that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) told him that when he was a young, unmarried man who had no wife – and even though the fact that he had no wife is understood from the word unmarried, it is added here for emphasis – he used to sleep in the Mosque of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It was said that he used to spend the night there because he did not have a house of his own, or it may be that he used to spend the night in the mosque so that he could be near to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and learn from him, and so that he could pray in the mosque whenever he wanted to. It is proven that the ‘Uranis [people from the tribe of ‘Uraynah] used to sleep in the mosque. It is proven in al-Sahihayn that ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) slept in the mosque, as did Safwan ibn Umayyah, and the woman who had been accused of stealing a scarf also slept in the mosque; and it is proven that numerous others among the Sahabah also did that. It was narrated that Thumamah ibn Uthal used to sleep in the mosque before he became Muslim. All of that happened at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which indicates that it is permissible to spend the night and to sleep in the mosque, especially for the poor and those who have no home.
This is a call to mosques to be refuges for the poor, especially now, as they are sturdily constructed and are suitable to offer such refuge..

441
It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to the house of Fatimah and did not find ‘Ali there. He said: Where is your cousin? She said: We had an argument and we got angry with one another, so he went out and did not take his siesta here. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to someone: “Go and find out where he is.” That person came back and said: O Messenger of Allah, he is sleeping in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came [to the mosque and found him] laying on his side; his rida’ had slipped on one side, and he had dust on him, so the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to wipe the dust from him, saying: “Get up, Abu Turab; get up, Abu Turab.”.

Commentary : The mosque is regarded as a sacred place and is held in high esteem by the Muslims. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us what is and is not permissible in the mosque.
In this hadith, Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to the house of his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) one day, to check on his daughter and see how she was getting on with her husband. He did not find ‘Ali in the house, and that was at a time when the men would usually be at home. So he asked her: Where is your cousin? He did not say, Where is your husband, or your father’s cousin, so as to soften her heart by reminding her of the ties of kinship between them. She told him that something had happened between them, and they had had an argument that led to both of them becoming angry, so he had left, because he wanted to put a stop to the argument, and because going out and keeping away would allow the flames of anger to die down. Hence he did not spend the time of the siesta with her at home. The siesta is a nap that is taken at midday or in the afternoon. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed one of his companions to look for ‘Ali and find out where he was, and he found him in the mosque. So the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came and found ‘Ali asleep, laying on his side in the mosque. His garment had fallen from his side, and dust had gotten onto him. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to wipe the dust from him with his hand, saying: Get up, Abu Turab; get up, Abu Turab.
Abu Turab (lit. Father of Dust) was a kunyah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) because he was sleeping on the dust and it had gotten onto his clothes and body. By doing that, he showed kindness to him and calmed his anger; it comforted him whilst carrying an implicit and gentle rebuke, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not rebuke ‘Ali for being angry with his wife; rather he said to him, “Get up,” implying that he should get up and go back to his wife. This is indicative of the Prophet’s good attitude and how gentle he was with people.
This hadith indicates that a father may enter his daughter’s house without the permission of her husband, if he knows that her husband approves of that.
It indicates that one may joke with one who is angry, and call him by a kunyah other than his own, if that will not upset him or make him angry; rather it will comfort him.
It indicates that it is permissible to give someone a kunyah that is not based on his child’s name.
It highlights the great virtue of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
It indicates that it is permissible to sleep in the mosque at any time..

442
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I saw seventy of ashab al-suffah, not one of whom was wearing a rida’; each of them had either an izar or a kisa’ which they tied around their necks; some of them would reach mid-calf, and some would reach the ankles, and the wearer would gather it in his hand, so that his ‘awrah would not be seen..

Commentary : When the Muslims first migrated to Madinah, there were some among the Sahabah who were poor and did not possess any worldly goods, for they had left behind their wealth and their homes, and had fled for the sake of Allah and His Messenger to Madinah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave them shelter in his mosque, and he fed them from what came to him of the provision of Allah and what was given to him as gifts by the wealthy Muslims (may Allah be pleased with them).
In this hadith, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw seventy of ahl al-suffah – who were the poor Muslims among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who had no houses in which to live, and they sought shelter in the suffah, which was a canopy at the back of the Prophet’s Mosque. He narrates that he saw them, and there was not one man among them who was wearing a rida’, which is a garment that covers the upper part of the body only. Rather each of them was wearing either an izar only, which is a garment that covers the lower half of the body, or a kisa’ only, which is a single garment. They tied their kisa’s on their necks, and some of these kisa’s would reach mid-calf, because they were short and would not reach any longer than that. Others of them reach the ankles, below the calves. One of them would gather his garment in his hand, so that his ‘awrah would not be seen. In some reports it says that they used to hold the garment together when praying, for no one among them had two garments, and he pray in it whilst taking precautions so that his ‘awrah would not become uncovered.
This hadith highlights the patience of the early Sahabah in bearing hardships and poverty out of love for Allah and His Messenger, and preferring Islam to disbelief..

443
It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said: I came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was in the mosque – Mis‘ar [one of the narrators] said: I think he said: at mid-morning – and he told me: Pray two rak‘ahs. He owed me something, and he paid it back, giving me more than he owed..

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the most compassionate of people towards his companions; he would check on them and help them in their religious and worldly affairs.
There is a story behind this text. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) bought a camel from Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah on the way back from the conquest of Makkah, on the basis that he would give him its price when they returned to Madinah. It was also said that he bought it from him on the way back from Tabuk, or that that happened when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was returning from the campaign of Dhat al-Riqa‘.
When Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Madinah, he went to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in his mosque, to greet him. That happened at the time of mid-morning. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed him warmly and told him to pray two rak‘ahs to “greet the mosque” (tahiyyat al-masjid). Then he paid him what he owed him, which was the price of the camel that he had bought on credit, and he gave him more than he owed him. According to Ibn Majah, Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He kept giving me more, dinar after dinar, and every time he gave me another dinar, he said, “And may Allah forgive you,” until the number reached twenty dinars. When I came to Madinah, I took my camel by the head and brought it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he said: “O Bilal, give him twenty dinars from the war booty.” Then he said: “Go and get your camel, and take it back to your family.” This was by way of honouring Jabir and showing generosity to him, because his father ‘Abdullah ibn Haram (may Allah be pleased with him) had died in the Battle of Uhud, leaving Jabir with sisters to take care of. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wanted to help him to take care of them. Hence he bought the camel from him, so as to avoid embarrassing him, and so that that would be a reason to give him something and show him kindness, without embarrassing him, as is clearly explained in other versions of this hadith. The reports differ concerning the price and the additional amount that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave him.
This hadith indicates that part of paying off debts properly is to repay what is owed with something of better quality or greater quantity, so that the debtor gives the lender more than he took from him. This comes under the heading of dignity and decency.
It highlights the kindness and generosity of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to his companions.
It also indicates that the one who enters the mosque should pray two rak‘ahs as a greeting to the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid)..

175
As for Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13), Abu Hurairah said, "He saw Gabriel, the Angel.".

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’raj was one of the miracles with which Allah supported His Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He honored and ascended him with Gabriel, the Angel, to the highest heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah interpreted Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13) and said that was the second time the Prophet saw Gabriel, the Angel, in his real form. The first time was at the beginning of his prophethood when Gabriel filled the sky's horizon, so he did not mean he saw his God. Some scholars think he saw his God with his heart, not his eyes, based on a hadith in Sahih Muslim reported by Ibn Abbas. They said that Allah granted his heart a sight so that he could see Him with his heart as if he saw Him with his eyes. It was also said that Allah firmed his heart so he could realize what he would see with his eyes. It was narrated in Sahih Muslim that Abu Dharr said, "I asked the Prophet (ﷺ), 'Have you seen your God?' The Prophet said, 'I saw a light.'" This Prophetic expression may mean that he saw Allah's light or another light that prevented him from seeing Allah, as in another Muslim narration in which Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said, "A light. How can see Him?!" He meant that he saw a veil of light prevented him from seeing Allah. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw his God, but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes..

176
As for Allah's saying, "The heart did not lie [about] what it saw." (An-Najm: 11) and "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 11), Ibn Abbas said, "He saw him by his heart twice.".

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’raj was one of the miracles with which Allah supported His Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He honored and ascended him with Gabriel, the Angel, to the highest heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Ibn Abbas interpreted Allah's saying, "The heart did not lie [about] what it saw." (An-Najm: 11) that the Prophet's heart did not lie about seeing his God. It was a real vision. He also interpreted Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13) that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw his God with his heart, as in another narration in Sahih Muslim. It was said that Allah granted his heart a sight so that he could see Him with his heart as if he saw Him with his eyes or He firmed his heart so he could realize what he would see with his eyes. On the contrary, Abu Hurairah narrated in Sahih Muslim that the one who was seen was Gabriel, the Angel. In Sahih Muslim, Abu Dharr said, "I asked the Prophet, 'Have you seen your God?' The Prophet said, 'I saw a light.'" This Prophetic expression may mean that he saw Allah's light or another light that prevented him from seeing Allah, as in another Muslim narration in which Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said, "A light. How can see Him?!" He meant that he saw a veil of light prevented him from seeing Allah. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw his God, but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes..

176
Ibn Abbas said, "He saw him by his heart.".

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’raj was one of the miracles with which Allah supported His Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He honored and ascended him with Gabriel, the Angel, to the highest heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Ibn Abbas interpreted Allah's saying, "And he certainly saw him in another descent." (An-Najm: 13) and said, "He saw him with his heart." It was said that Allah granted his heart a sight so that he could see Him with his heart as if he saw Him with his eyes. It was also said that Allah firmed his heart so he could realize what he would see with his eyes. This contradicts another hadith in Sahih Muslim reported by Abu Hurairah that the one who was seen is Gabriel, the Angel, in his real shape. As a result, Abu Hurairah narrated, as in Sahih Muslim, that, "Abu Dharr said, 'I asked the Prophet, 'Have you seen your God?' The Prophet said, 'I saw a light.'" This Prophetic expression may mean that he saw Allah's light or another light that prevented him from seeing Allah, as in another Muslim narration in which Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet said, "A light. How can see Him?!" He meant that he saw a veil of light prevented him from seeing Allah. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw Him but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes. Finally, this hadith clarifies that the Prophet saw His God with his heart..

177
Aisha, Mother of the Believers, said, “If Muhammad ﷺ were to conceal anything which was sent to him, he would certainly conceal this verse: ‘And [remember, O Muhammad] when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, ‘Keep your wife and fear Allah,’ while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him.’” (Al-Ahzab: 37).

Commentary : The Prophet Muhammad completely reported what Allah revealed to him. He was too trustworthy to conceal anything of the Quran. In this hadith, Aisha, Mother of the Believers, told us that if he, as a reliable person, had wanted to conceal any verse of the Quran, he would have concealed this verse, "And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, 'Keep your wife and fear Allah,' while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zaid had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished." (Al-Ahzab: 37) Allah reproached him and expressed what he concealed. The Prophet advised his companion Zaid ibn Haritha not to divorce Zainab bint Jahsh although Allah had informed him that Zaid would divorce her and he, the Prophet, would marry her afterward. The Islamic rule is that a Muslim cannot marry his son's wife or ex-wife. The Prophet adopted Zaid ibn Haritha to the extent that the latter was called Zaid ibn Muhammad. Allah wanted to abort the habit of adoption so He revealed to him that Zaid would divorce her and he, the Prophet, had to marry her to abort this habit, confirming that Zaid was not the Prophet's son. The Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to conceal these details lest the hypocrites may have accused him of marrying Zaid’s ex-wife although he prohibited this habit ahead. All of these divine procedures were for great wisdom as Allah stated, "... in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them...." As a result, when Zaid complained to the Prophet about her, the Prophet advised him to keep her in spite of his previous knowledge of the details that Allah showed to him. The favor that Allah bestowed upon Zaid is Islam and the favor that the Prophet bestowed upon Zaid is emancipation. Allah blamed His Prophet for his trying to avoid people's blaming and saying: He commanded his son to divorce his wife so he could marry her afterward. Allah guided His Prophet that He has more right that he fears Him. It was not meant that the Prophet did not fear Allah while fearing people but it was meant that the Prophet feared people's comments while fearing Allah at the same time. It was not a sin, for Allah did not command him to ask His forgiveness. In fact, an act may not be a sin but there is another better act. A Muslim may be excused for some confusing matters that occur in his heart as long as he does not mean to commit a sin. The Prophet hid these details for fear that people would be confused about the above Islamic rule about adoption. Finally, the hadith confirmed that the Prophet is a human who has human attributes..

178
Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said, “I said to Abu Dharr, ‘Had I seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I would have asked him.’ He (Abu Dharr) asked, ‘What is that thing about which you would have asked him?’ He said, ‘I would have asked him, ‘Had you seen your Lord?’ Abu Dharr said, ‘In fact, I asked him and he replied, ‘I saw light.’”.

Commentary : The journey of the Isra and Mi’raj was one of the miracles with which Allah supported His Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). He honored and ascended him with Gabriel, the Angel, to the highest heavens so he saw Paradise along with His greatest signs. In this hadith, Abdullah ibn Shaqiq said to Abu Dharr that had he seen the Prophet, he would have asked him about something he wanted to know about. When Abu Dharr asked his explanation, Abdullah told him that he had wanted to ask the Prophet if he had seen his God. Abu Dharr confirmed that he had asked the Prophet the same question so the Prophet replied, "I saw light." This means that he saw nothing from Allah but light. Allah's light is a light befitting Him, without any interpretation. It was said that the light he saw was nothing but the veil between Allah and His servants, for Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary reported in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet said, "His veil is the light. If he were to remove it, the glory of his face would burn all of his creation, as far as his sight reaches." His sight is endless. The Companions and the scholars after them differed on that. Some confirmed it while others negated it. It was said that it is most likely that he saw Him but they differed on how he saw Him. Some confirmed it was with heart while others confirmed it was with eyes. Finally, this hadith clarifies that the Prophet saw His God with his heart..

179
Abu Musa narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up among us and said five things, ‘Verily, Allah, the Almighty, does not sleep and it does not befit him to sleep. He lowers the scale and raises it. The deed done during the night is taken up to Him before the deed done during the day, and the deed done during the day before the deed done during the night. His veil is the light (“the fire” as in another narration). If He were to remove it, the glory of his Face would burn everything of His creation as far as His gaze reaches.’”.

Commentary : The Prophet ﷺ used to choose suitable times to preach to his companions, remind them about Allah periodically, and teach them Allah’s unmatchable attributes. In this hadith, the companion Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary narrated that the Prophet ﷺ once delivered his companions five Islamic teachings. He told them that Allah never slept, for it was not appropriate for Him to sleep. Sleeping is an attribute of deficiency, which is impossible to be his attribute. Allah said, “Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him.” (Al-Baqarah: 255). Additionally, how does the Manager of the heavens and the earth sleep?! The Prophet ﷺ also told them that Allah possessed the scale of justice and provisions, so he restricted or expanded his bliss to his servants, out of his comprehensive wisdom. Also, the Prophet ﷺ informed them that his servant’s righteous or evil deeds done during the night were taken up to Him before those done during the day and vice versa. This indicates that all deeds are immediately raised to Him by His angels, without waiting for the day or night to be completed. There is no doubt that he knows all of these deeds before they are even taken up to Him. As a result, if a servant realizes this, he has to fear and take much care of Allah’s observation during the day and night. Also, the Prophet ﷺ informed them that there was a barrier between Allah and His creation which was the light or fire as in the other narration. There is no contradiction between the two words, for Allah called the lamp’s fire as light as in Surat An-Nour, unlike the dark fire of Hell, Allah forbid, which was not called a light. If Allah were to remove that veil, His face’s glory would burn everything of His creation as far as His gaze reaches. Allah’s sight is endless. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) The humans cannot see Allah in this world, but Allah will honor whomever He wishes with this bliss in the Hereafter, (2) It proves the veil between Allah and his creation, in the way that befits him, without negating its meaning or comparing it with his creation’s attributes, (3) It proves some of Allah’s attributes such as: the face, sight, raising and lowering of the scale of justice, in the way that befits him, (4) It is impossible for Allah to sleep, for it is an attribute of deficiency, and (5) It proves that the servants’ deeds are submitted to Allah every day and every night..

181
Suhaib narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “When the people of Paradise enter it, Allah, the Most-High, asks them, ‘Do you wish Me to give you anything more?’ They answer, ‘Have You not brightened our faces? Have You not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Hell?’ Then the veil is lifted so they are not given something dearer to them than seeing their Lord, the Most-High.’” In another narration, “Then he (the Prophet) recited this verse, ‘For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra.’” (Yunus: 26).

Commentary : Paradise is Allah's reward for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. However, He, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, provides his servants with another blessing. In this hadith, the Prophet told us that after the people of Paradise entered it, Allah would ask them as a prelude to a coming blessing, "Do you wish Me to give you anything more?” They would answer, "Have You not brightened our faces?" They referred to the verse, "But as for those whose faces will turn white, [they will be] within the mercy of Allah. They will abide therein eternally." (Aal-Imran: 107) They resumed, "Have You not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Hell?" Whitening their faces, granting them satisfaction, admitting them to Paradise, and saving them from Hell were their ultimate hope, but Allah's blessings are endless. Afterward, he would clear the veil of light in between so they could clearly see him, as stated in a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim. They did not imagine that there was not a blessing over entering Paradise so Allah would fulfill His promise and grant them the greatest blessing, as the Prophet said, "Indeed, you will see your God ..." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim) They would not be given something dearer to them than seeing their God, the Most-High. In another narration, the Prophet “recited this verse, 'For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra.'" (Yunus: 26) The "best" is their entering Paradise and the "extra" is their looking at their God, as Allah said, "[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, looking at their Lord." (Al-Qiyaama: 22, 23) So, he made it clear that the reward of those preferring Hereafter to the worldly life is to make their faces beautiful at that time. Additionally, they will enjoyably and clearly look at their God's unmatchable dazzling beauty. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows Allah's grace upon his servants of admitting them to Paradise, and (2) It proves that the believers will look at their God in Paradise..

187
Ibn Mas’oud narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The last to enter Paradise will be a man who will walk once, fall once, and be scorched by Hell. Once crossing a bridge over Hell, he will go beyond it and say, ‘Blessed was He Who saved me from you. Allah gave me something He did not give to anyone earlier or later. ‘Then, a tree will be raised for him so he will say, ‘O God, bring me near this tree so I can enjoy its shade and drink its water.’ Allah, the Exalted, will say, ‘O son of Adam, if I grant you this, will you ask Me for something else?’ He will say, ‘No. my God.’ He will promise Him that he will not ask Him for anything else. His Lord will excuse him because he sees something he cannot resist its temptation. So He will bring him near it so he can enjoy its shade and drink its water. Afterward, a tree more beautiful than the first will be raised for him so he will say, ‘O God, bring me near this tree so I can enjoy its shade and drink its water. I will not ask you something else.’ He said, ‘O son of Adam, did not you promise me not to ask Me for anything else? If I bring you near it, you may ask me for something else.’ He will promise Him not to ask Him for anything else. His God will excuse him because he sees something that he cannot resist its temptation. He will bring him near it so he can enjoy its shade and drink its water. Then, a more beautiful tree than the first two will be raised for him at the gate of Paradise. He will say, ‘O God, bring me near this so I can enjoy its shade and drink its water. I will not ask You for anything else.’ He will say, ‘O son of Adam! Did you not promise Me not to ask Me for anything else?’ He will say, ‘Yes, my God. I will not ask You for anything else.’ His God will excuse him for He sees something that cannot resist its temptation. He will bring him near to it. Then, He will hear the voices of Paradise’s people and say, ‘O God, admit me to it.’ He will say, ‘O son of Adam, what will bring an end to your requests to Me? Will it please you if I give you the whole world and a like one along with it?’ He will say, ‘O God! Are You mocking me although You are the God of the worlds?!’ Ibn Mas'oud laughed and said to his audience, ‘Will you not ask me why I am laughing?’ They asked, ‘Why are you laughing?’ He said, ‘Here the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) laughed so we asked him, ‘Why are you laughing O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?’ He answered, ‘Because of the laugh of the God of the worlds when he (the man) said, ‘Are You mocking me although You are the God of the worlds?!’ Allah will say, ‘I do not mock you but I have the power to do whatever I will.’”.

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) related the story of the last person to enter Paradise. On his way to Paradise and during his walking over the bridge over Hell, he will sometimes walk, and fall on his face, out of fear and panic that he may fall into it. Sometimes, he will be scorched by Hell. Once crossing it, he will turn to it and say, ‘Blessed was He Who saved me from you.’ He will think that Allah gave him something that He did not give to anyone earlier or later. Afterward, he will not be satisfied with the bliss he would be granted but desire for more of Allah’s generosity. In the meanwhile, Allah will raise a tree for him so he will bring him near it, aiming to enjoy its shade and water. Allah will say to him, “O son of Adam, if I grant you this, will you ask Me for something else?’ The man will promise not to ask Him for anything else. Allah will excuse him because he sees something he cannot resist its temptation. Once again, a more beautiful tree will be raised for him and the same literal story will repeat. In the third time, Allah will raise for him a tree that will be more beautiful than the first two but this time it will be at Paradise’s gate. The same dialogue will repeat and Allah will bring him there. Once he enjoys this tree’s shade and hears the voices of the people of Paradise while enjoying its bliss and speaking to their wives and companions, he will ask Allah to admit him into Paradise. Thus, Allah will ask him, and He knows best, to clarify what makes him satisfied after these frequently fulfilled requests. Thereupon, Allah will promise to grant him the entire world and a like one along with it. Out of surprise and joy, the man will say, “Are You mocking me although You are the God of the worlds?!” At this point, Ibn Mas’oud laughed and imitated the Prophet’s laughter due to Allah’s laughter at this man’s expression. Allah’s laughter is different from people’s laughter, for it is a laughter that befits His perfection and majesty. Then, Allah will confirm that he does not mock but will fulfill His promise, for He is All-Powerful and nothing may deduct his dominion. The narration of Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudry in Sahih Muslim completes this story in which the Prophet narrates, “And Allah will remind him, ‘Ask such-and-such.’” It means that He will remind that man, who will be in the lowest rank of Paradise, of the blisses he may miss. Once clarifying all of his desires, Allah will promise to grant him this entire world with its tenfold. Then, he will enter his house in Paradise with his two wide-eyed wives with very white cornea and very dark pupils. They will say, “Praise be to Allah Who created you for us and created us for you.” Due to that huge bliss, he will think that he lives in the highest rank in Paradise. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) People of monotheism will be temporarily punished in Hell and be admitted into Paradise when Allah wills, (2) It clarifies Paradise’s huge bliss in comparison to this worldly bliss, for the man who is in the lowest rank in Paradise will get the double of this entire worldly bliss, and (3) It urges people to frequently perform righteous deeds to get that bliss of Paradise..

189
Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) Musa asked his God, 'Who is the lowest in rank among the people of Paradise?' He said, 'He is a man who comes after the people of Paradise were admitted to it and was told, ‘Enter Paradise.’ He says, ‘O God, how can I enter while all people get their abodes and take their shares.' It is said to him, 'Do you accept to have what a king had in the worldly life?' He says, 'O Lord, I accept.' He said, 'Then, you will have it, the same, the same, the same, and the same.' The man says after the fifth reward, 'O Lord, I accept.' He said, 'You will have his share and the tenfold along with whatever your soul desires and your eyes want.' He says, 'O God, I accept.' The Prophet Musa (ﷺ) asked, ''O God, who is the highest in rank?' He says, ‘They are those whom I chose, established their honor with My Hand, and sealed their bounties, which neither eye saw, an ear heard, nor a heart perceived.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'This Quranic verse confirms that, 'No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy." (As-Sajda: 17).

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) said that the Prophet Moses (ﷺ) asked his God about who would get the lowest status in Paradise. Allah answered him that he would be a man who came after the people of Paradise were admitted to it and Allah would, out of His grace, tell him to enter Paradise. The man wondered how he entered it after seemingly all people took their ranks and bounties. Allah asked him if he was content to have something like the property of a king. It is a huge grant for a man who thinks that there are no more ranks in Paradise. He answered, “O God, I am satisfied.” Out of his grace, he continued in his huge grants until he granted him five doubles of what a king’s property in the worldly life. The man answered, “O God, I am satisfied.” Moreover, Allah, the generous, increased his grants to be like a king’s property in the worldly life with a tenfold. He also confirmed to him that he would have whatever his soul desires and his eyes want, which was for all people of Paradise as well. He answered, “O God, I am satisfied.” Then, the Prophet Moses (ﷺ) asked his God about who was in the highest rank in Paradise. Allah answered that these were his allies that he selected. Their dignity and reward are unmatchable or unchangeable. Allah prepared for them in Paradise which neither eye saw, an ear heard, nor a heart perceived. This Quranic verse confirms this meaning, “No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy." (As-Sajda: 17) Allah concealed their rewards as they concealed their righteous deeds in the worldly life, out of sincerity. The reward is of the same type as the work. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) Paradise has ranks and levels, (2) It proves the attribute of Allah’s hand in a way that befits His majesty, without similarity or negation, and (3) It urges people to frequently perform righteous deeds to get that bliss of Paradise..

190
Abu Dharr said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'I know the last of the inhabitants of Paradise to enter it and the last of the inhabitants of Hell to come out of it. He is a man who will be brought on the Day of Resurrection then it will be said, 'Present his minor sins to him and withhold his major ones from him.' His minor sins will be presented to him. It will be said, 'On such and such a day, you did so and so and on such and such a day, you did so and so.' He will say, 'Yes." He cannot deny it. He will be afraid of his major sins to be presented. It will be said to him, 'You will have a good reward for every evil deed.' He will say, 'My God, I have done things I do not see here.' Verily, I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ laugh till his front teeth were exposed.".

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) informs us that he knows the last person to enter Paradise and the last person to come out of Hell. He is a Muslim who will be punished in Hell due to his sins. When Allah wants to have mercy on him, He will take him out of Hell to admit him to Paradise. At that time, Allah will command his angels to present to him his minor, not major sins. This may to make him avoid despair at Allah's mercy or due to wisdom that Allah only knows. His evil minor sins will be in detail presented to him based on time and way of committing them. He will acknowledge them without any form of denying. He will be also afraid of his major ones to be presented, for the torment will be greater and more severe. Due to Allah’s mercy, it will be said, "You will have a good reward for every evil deed." In another narration of Abu Awanah, “So if Allah wants good for him, He will say, "Give him a good reward for every evil deed.” As a result, his minor sins will be replaced with good rewards. At that time, the servant will acknowledge his major sins that he was afraid of, hoping Allah's mercy. Thus, the Prophet (ﷺ) laughed until his molars became visible, which is a metaphor for his intense laughter and astonishment. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It shows Allah's mercy upon people, and (2) It encourages people to frequently perform righteous deeds to enjoy the bliss of Paradise..

191
Abu Az-Zubeir reported that he heard Jaber ibn Abdullah said, when being asked about people’s crossing (over Hell on the Day of Resurrection), “We will come on the Day of Resurrection over a mound above people. All nations will be called along with the idols they worshipped, one after another. Then, our God will come to us and say, ‘Whom are you waiting for?’ They will say, ‘We are waiting for our God.’ He will say, ‘I am your God.’ They will say, ‘(We are not sure) till we gaze at you.’ He will manifest Himself to them smilingly then go along with them and they will follow Him. Every person, a hypocrite or a believer, will be granted a light to follow. There will be spikes and hooks on the bridge of Hell, which will catch whom Allah wills. Then, the hypocrites’ light will be extinguished but the believers will be saved. Their first group consists of seventy thousand whose faces will be like the full bright moon. They will not be held accountable. The second group will be like the brightest star in heaven and so on. Then, it will be the time of intercession. They (the intercessors) will be interceding till he who declared, ‘There is no god but Allah’ while having goodness in his heart like the weight of a barley grain will get out of Hell. They will be brought to the courtyard of Paradise then the people of Paradise will sprinkle water over them till they sprout like a little plant due to the flood water and their burns will disappear. Then, he will be asking (for his God’s bounties) till he is granted the entire world along with ten doubles.”.

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon people and increases their dignity. In this hadith, Abu Az-Zubeir reported that Jaber ibn Abdullah was asked about people’s crossing over Hell on the Day of Resurrection, which was mentioned in Allah’s verse, “There is not one of you, but will pass over it (Hell): this is with your Lord; a Decree which must be accomplished.” (Maryam: 71) Jaber answered that Muslims would come on the Day of Resurrection over a mound above people. Ka’b ibn Malek narrated in Musnad Ahmad that the Prophet said, “People will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection. I and my nation will be over a hill.” Imam At-Tabary mentioned in his explanation of the Quran that Ibn Umar said, “He and his nation will rise over a hill above the people.” Jaber told that all nations would be called on that day along with the idols they worshipped, as a sign of shame and humiliation. On that day, they would bitterly regret when knowing they were false gods without any benefit. As for the believers, Jaber told that they only followed Allah so they would be waiting their God to follow. Allah would come to them in a way befitting his majesty and asked them about whom they were waiting for. They would answer Him that there were waiting for their God. Once He informed them that he was their God, they would ask Him to for looking at His noble face to recognize Him, as described to them in the Quran and Prophetic tradition. He would manifest Himself smiling to them in a way befitting Himself then go with them. Every person, a hypocrite or a believer, would be granted a light to follow. As for the believer, his light would be according to his faith in Allah, but the hypocrite would be deceived with an unrealistic light as he did with the believers in the world by displaying his faith. All would follow their lights until reaching the bridge over Hell. There would be spikes and hooks on that bridge to catch whom Allah willed. At that hard time, the hypocrites’ light would be extinguished as a recompense to their hypocrisy but the believers would be saved. The hypocrites would not be able to cross the bridge because of the hooks throwing them into Hell. The faces of the first believing saved group would be like the full bright moon, out of Allah’s grace. They would be seventy thousand who would not be held accountable out of their prestige with Allah, for all of their deeds were acceptable. The faces of the second believing saved group would be like the brightest star in heaven, which had less light. The rest of people would cross according to their deeds. Later, Allah would allow people to intercede. The Prophets, angels, and the believers would intercede with Allah to get people out of Hell. The intercessors would be interceding even for he who declared, ‘There is no god but Allah’ while having goodness in his heart like the weight of a barley grain, which was a sign of Allah’s mercy to His servants. They would be saved from Hell and brought to a wide place in Paradise. The people of Paradise would start to sprinkle water over them. Their burned bodies would be healed and sprout like a little plant due to the flood water. Ibn Masoud narrated in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet showed that one of them would ask for Allah’s bounties of Paradise. As a result, Allah would grant him the entire world along with ten doubles. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves some attributes to Allah like laughter, coming, and manifestation, (2) It proves the believers’ seeing their God on the Day of Resurrection, (3) It proves intercession, (4) Paradise exists now, and (5) The believers will get rid of hypocrites on that day..

191
Yazid al-Faqir said, "I was admired by an opinion of Khawarij. I set out in a large group intending to perform pilgrimage, then declare that to people. We passed by Medina and found Jaber ibn Abdullah ( sitting against a pillar and narrating the Prophet's hadiths to people. When Jaber mentioned the people of Hell, I said, 'O the Prophet's companion, how are you narrating that although Allah said, '“Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him" (Aal-Imran: 192) and "Every time they wish to get away therefrom, they will be put back thereto." (As-Sajda: 20)? Jaber asked me, 'Did you read the Quran?' I answered, 'Yes." He asked, 'Did you hear about the exalted position of the Prophet Muhammad (i.e. in the hereafter)?' I answered, 'Yes.' He said, 'Verily, it is the Prophet Muhammad's position through which Allah will bring out (from Hell) whomsoever He wants.' Then, he described the bridge and passing people over it. I am afraid I may not have remembered so but he claimed that Allah would get some people out of Hell. They would get out of it as if they were the wood of the ebony tree. Then, they would bathe in a river in Paradise and get out as if they were papers. We then asked ourselves, 'Woe be upon you! How can you think that this old man tells a lie against the Messenger of Allah?’ We all left that (doctrine of Khawarij) except one man..

Commentary : Paradise is the house of eternal reward that Allah made for His pious and faithful servants. Whoever wins Paradise after experiencing the horror of the Last Day knows the extent of Allah's grace upon him. He is the Most Generous, the Most Merciful that bestows His blessings and rewards upon His servants and increases their blessings and dignity. In this hadith, Yazid Al-Faqir (a companion of the Prophet's companions) narrated that he admired an opinion of the Kharijites. They are one of the sects of heresies with whom Muslims are afflicted. Although they are frequently practicing Islamic rites, they think that some Muslims are infidels and will eternally remain in Hell due to their committing major sins. Thus, they do not hesitate to shed their blood. This is a false doctrine that contradicts the Quran and the Sunnah. Yazid traveled with a large group from Kufa to Mecca to perform pilgrimage and call people to this misleading doctrine. On their way to Mecca, they passed by Medina and found Jaber ibn Abdullah sitting against a pillar and narrating the Prophet's hadiths to people. Jaber confirmed that some people would initially get into Hell due to their sins, and then get out after being punished. Allah would admit them to Paradise with His mercy. They would be in the lowest status in Paradise. Yazid refused and confirmed to Jaber that this doctrine of proving intercession contradicted Quranic verses like: “Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him" (Aal-Imran: 192) and "Every time they wish to get away therefrom, they will be put back thereto." (As-Sajda: 20) Afterward, Jaber asked him, "Did you read the Qur’an?” Yazid replied, "Yes." Jaber asked him if he heard about the Prophet's exalted position that Allah would grant him in the hereafter as in Allah's truthful promise in the Quran, "It may be that your Lord will raise you to a station of praise." (Al-Isra: 79) It is his status of great intercession for which all people will praise him. Yazid replied, "Yes." Jaber told him that it would be his status of intercession through which Allah would bring out from Hell whomever He wants. Afterward, Jaber described the bridge over Hell through which people would cross it. Yazid was afraid that he may have forgotten some of Jaber's words about the bridge, but he confirmed that Jaber claimed that some people, due to Allah's mercy, would get out of Hell as if they were the wood of the ebony tree, i.e. black, bathe in a river in Paradise, then get out as if they were thick white papers, preparing themselves to get Paradise, as proven in other narrations. Yazid added that they believed Jaber’s words and did not think that he told lies. As a result, Yazid and his friends repented to Allah and came back after performing pilgrimage without calling to the doctrine of Kharijites except one man. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves the Prophet's intercession on the Day of Resurrection, (2) It proves the bridge over Hell in the hereafter, and (3) It proves that disobedient believers will enter Paradise after being initially punished in Hell..

192
Anas ibn Malek narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Four persons will be brought out from Hell and presented to Allah. One of them will turn and say, ‘O my Lord, if you bring me out from it, do not throw me back into it.’ Then Allah rescues him from it.”.

Commentary : If a Muslim hopes and has good thoughts about Allah, He will accept his deeds and respond to him, for He is Most Compassionate and Merciful to His servants. He created Paradise as an abode of eternal bliss for His pious servants and Hell as a punishment for His disobedient and disbelieved servants. Whoever witnesses Hereafter's terrors and wins Paradise exactly knows Allah's grace and favor upon him. In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) informed that there would be four men getting out of Hell on that day. It is said they will be the last ones getting out of it. They would be presented to Him to be reckoned. Allah's command would be that they would be punished in Hell for their sins although they believe in Allah. Afterward, one of them would turn to Allah - after being commanded to go to Hell as a test, as Ahmad's narration mentioned, and call Allah: O Allah, I was hoping if you got me out of it, you would not return me to it. As a result, Allah would save him from Hell and admit him to Paradise as in the narration of Ibn Hibban. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) Allah's extraordinary generosity, (2) The virtue of having good thoughts about Allah, and (3) Urging the generous people to complete their grants, for those who bestow grants do not follow them with the opposite..

195
Abu Huraira and Hudhaifa narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, "When Allah, the Almighty, gathers people, the believers will stand till Paradise is brought near them. They will come and say to Adam, 'O father, open Paradise for us.' He will say, 'Did you get out of Paradise but due to your father Adam’s sin? It is not my position to do so. Go to my son Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah.' Ibrahim said, 'It is not my position to do so. I was a friend (of Allah) beyond a veil. Go to Moses with whom Allah conversed.' They will come to Moses who will say, 'It is not my position to do so. Go to Jesus, the word and spirit of Allah.' Jesus will say, 'It is not my position to do so.' They will go to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He will stand and be permitted (to open Paradise's door). Trustworthiness and kinship will be dispatched to stand on the right and left of the Path (over Hell). The first of you will pass just like the lightning." Abu Huraira asked, "You are dearer to me than my father and my mother! Which thing is like the passing of lightning?" The Prophet resumed, "Did you not see how the lightning passes back and forth in the twinkling of an eye? Then (they will pass) like the passing of the wind, like the passing of a bird, and like fast persons, each according to his deeds while your Prophet is standing at the Path saying, 'O God, save us, save us!' (The people will be passing) till the servants' deeds weaken to the extent that a man cannot walk (on that Path) but crawlingly. There are suspended hooks on the Path's sides which are commanded to catch whoever they are required to catch. Some will be scratched and saved while others piled up in Hell." Abu Hurairah said, "By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Abu Huraira, Hell is seventy years deep.".

Commentary : Allah is Most Compassionate and Merciful to His servants, whose mercy encompasses all things. He made Paradise the abode of eternal bliss for His pious servants and Hell the punishment for His disobedient and disbelieved servants. Whoever witnesses Hereafter's terrors and wins Paradise exactly knows Allah's grace and favor upon him. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ informed us about some events on the Day of Resurrection. On that day, Allah will bring his believing servants near Paradise to the extent that they will be deeply eager to enter it to avoid the terrors of that day. As a result, they will be searching for whoever intercedes for them with Alah to finalize recking people. Anas narrated, as in Sahih Muslim, that the Prophet ﷺ said, "So they will be concerned or inspired and say, 'If only we intercede with our God so that He relieves us from our current place." The meaning is either: (1) They will be concerned with interceding with Allah to end the distress they are suffering from, or (2) Allah will inspire them to intercede with him. They will ask some Prophets to intercede with Allah to enter them to Paradise. They will ask Prophet Adam, Father of humankind, but he will decline and remind them about his sin of eating the forbidden tree. He will confirm that it is not his position to do so. The position he mentions is the greatest position of intercession called the Praiseworthy Position. It is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim that Prophet Adam said, "Verily, my God is angry to an extent to which He had never been angry before nor would He be angry afterward. Verily, He forbade me (eating from) the tree, but I disobeyed. Myself! (thrice) Go to someone else." He will guide them to go to Prophet Ibrahim. He was a close friend to Allah, one of the best Prophets, and a grandfather of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. When asking him to intercede with Allah, he will decline and confirm it is not his position to do so, out of modesty, for he was a close friend to Allah, but Allah spoke to him beyond a veil. He will remind them that he lied three times as narrated in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet ﷺ said, "The Prophet Ibrahim never lied but thrice. Two of them were for the sake of Allah when he said, 'Verily, I am sick,' 'Nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it,' and the last one was for Sara (his wife)." He will guide them to go to Prophet Moses with whom Allah spoke without an intermediary or a veil. Allah says, "And to Moses, Allah spoke directly." (An-Nisa: 164) Speech is a proven attribute for Allah and is not similar to others' speech. In the Two Sahihs, they will come and say to Moses, "O Musa! You are the Messenger of Allah whom He distinguished above the people with His Message and His Speech ... He answered, 'Indeed I killed a person whom I was not ordered to kill.'" He will inform them that it is not his position to do so and guide them to go to the Prophet Jesus. In the Two Sahihs, they will say, "O Jesus, you are the Messenger of Allah, His Word which He placed into Mariam, and a Spirit from Him. You spoke to people in the cradle ... He will not mention a sin.” Abu Saeed narrated as in Sunan At-Termidhi that Jesus will say, “I was worshiped besides Allah.” He will inform them that it is not his position to do so. Jesus said, as Anas reported in the Two Sahihs, "But go to Muhammad ﷺ, a servant whose previous and future sins were forgiven.” In Bukhari's narration, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, "So they will come to me and I will prostrate under the throne. It will be said, 'O Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head, intercede and you will be granted intercession, and ask and you will be granted.’” He will intercede to remove people's distress and sorrow. He will be allowed to enter Paradise as it is apparent in the hadith or granted his promised position of intercession. Also, both trustworthiness and kinship will be dispatched to stand on the right and left of the bridge over Hell, for their high prestige. They will stand there waiting for the trustworthy, traitors, those fostering and breaking ties of kinship. They will support those keeping them and witness against those violating them. Afterward, people will begin to pass the bridge over Hell. The first will rapidly pass just like the lightning without being scratched by fire flames, some will pass like the wind, some will pass like a bird, and some will pass as fast persons, each according to his deeds, out of Allah's mercy and justice. The Prophet ﷺ will be standing at the bridge supplicating Allah, "O God, save us, save us," out of his compassion and mercy for people. Once their deeds weaken, some people will pass crawlingly while others may be caught and thrown to Hell or scratched by suspended hooks on the bridge's sides as Allah commands. Abu Huraira swore that Hell is seventy years deep. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It proves the Prophet's intercession, (2) It clarifies the virtue of trustworthiness and kinship, (3) It confirms the reality of the bridge over Hell, (4) It shows the different types of people passing over the bridge, (5) It explains the virtue of Prophet Moses for his speaking to Allah, and (6) One should supplicate Allah according to the situation he experiences..

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Anas ibn Malek narrated, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I will have the most followers in comparison with other prophets on the Day of Resurrection and the first to knock at the door of Paradise.”.

Commentary : The Prophet's merits are great and supreme. He was sent to all people including Jews and Christians. All people must believe and follow him. This hadith shows some of his virtues on the Day of Resurrection. He will have the most followers on that day in comparison with other prophets. It means that having more followers means having a supreme prophet so Allah dignifies this Muslim nation for dignifying his Prophet. No nation will be like his nation, for it will form half of Paradise's people as in the two Sahihs. Moreover, he will be the first to knock at Paradise's door then its guard will open it for him. Finally, this hadith shows how Allah will dignify his Prophet with most followers and his being the first one to enter paradise..